What's wrong with your PC? [Archive]

d_and_n5000

Dec 28, 2005, 01:36 PM

What's wrong with your PC that makes you love using your Mac? Anything goes, even the case. My Dell is ugly, Windows is uglier, and it doesn't want to play with my iPod, or iTunes, or anything from Apple, for that matter. It has spyware up the wazoo, and it is just plain horrible. I makes me love those rare days at school when we get to use iBooks in literature, because i don't have a mac refuge of my own yet, but it will happen soon. So tell me all the dirty details .

ibook30

Dec 28, 2005, 01:42 PM

My PC has few problems, but to keep it that way I spend tooooo much time maintaining it.

My mac(s) on the other hand, have no problems and very, very little maintance. They just work.

d_and_n5000 - until you can get a mac, consider running ad aware, and spybot to kill some of the spy ware.

Capt Underpants

Dec 28, 2005, 01:44 PM

I <3 my PC

happy.buddha

Dec 28, 2005, 01:52 PM

yellow

Dec 28, 2005, 01:53 PM

I've never owned a Windows PC in the 21 years I've had a computer. I guess that's what's wrong with my PC. :)

TheMasin9

Dec 28, 2005, 01:57 PM

i cant think of anything that is right with the pcs that i have, slow, dont recognize anything, slow, windows, slow, ugly... list goes on and on and o did i mention they were slow?

tag

Dec 28, 2005, 02:00 PM

I love using my Mac over my PC because I love the form factor of the iMac G4 and the awesomeness of the OS, everything about Mac is just smooth and doesn't give me the headaches that Windows did, though XP was a step in the right direction. But my favorite thing over my old Gateway and Toshiba has to be not restarting every day because of crashes(with windows anyways). And even linux has problems because setting that up with each different computer is always a hassle. So many different types of hardware, will this be supported, will that, will...? It drives you nuts.

Mac: It's simple, stable and stupendous, the near pillar of perfection.:D

And literally because my PC is no longer usable, as I was installing Debian on my PC when I spilled guinness all over the keyboard and now it doesn't work, and sadly I have no more PS/2 Keyboards, and the installation isn't far enough along for me to setup a USB keyboard on my archaic 233Mhz PC. So remember, don't drink and install! and always have a backup keyboard, which sadly I don't.:(

Wow I rambled on mostly incoherently about this, but hey I did just wake up so :p

someguy

Dec 28, 2005, 02:24 PM

Nothing is wrong with my PC. It is faster in virtually every way, has no malware of any kind (I know a thing or two about PC security), and cost much, much less (gotta love the ease of building your own system from scratch). :)

But which do I prefer? ;)

dsharits

Dec 28, 2005, 02:31 PM

I've never owned a Windows PC in the 21 years I've had a computer. I guess that's what's wrong with my PC. :)
Well, my story's very similar to that except for the 21 years part.......I'm only 19, so that would be a little hard. :p However, I can claim 6 years. :D

Eithanius

Dec 28, 2005, 02:34 PM

what's wrong with my PC....?

Windows VISTA of course.....

why.....?

V = Viruses
I = Infections
S = Spywares
T = Trojans
A = Adwares

now that's why..... :p :p :D

edesignuk

Dec 28, 2005, 02:37 PM

I have one PC that lives its life in the garage running XP Pro SP2 for TorrentFlux (BitTorrent) 24/7, and have NO problems with it.

We have a 'family PC' on the other hand, that I built a couple of years back, the temperature thing keeps on beeping saying it's over heating, and the monitor is on the way out. On the OS side of things it's fine though, also XP Pro SP2.

Both these Windows machines run Symantec AntiVirus Corp. I have run varied version of this for years, it's now at version 10. In all this time I have NEVER had a virus cause any damage.

dsharits

Dec 28, 2005, 02:38 PM

what's wrong with my PC....?

Windows VISTA of course.....

why.....?

V = Viruses
I = Infections
S = Spywares
T = Trojans
A = Adwares

now that's why..... :p :p :D
Very nice, I like it! :cool: :D

Ashapalan

Dec 28, 2005, 02:43 PM

laptop market,

OS, could not live without expose now
all metal finish
diminutive size (12")
complete media package, ilife, great how such little things as seaching itunes library in iphoto for slideshow music all adds up.

great battery
great looks
a good feeling when using, computing is now fun for me.

ibook30

Dec 28, 2005, 02:48 PM

There is nothing wrong with my PC, not filled with spyware or viruses, in fact I use it daily and it is even KVM'd to my Mac. I use it for work mostly but I occasionally play a game or two on it. You know any computer whether it is a Mac or PC is really a reflection of the end user, you have spyware because of something you did, you don't like the way Windows looks there are many themes out there for it. I have no problem running iTunes or Quicktime Pro on in and I don't spend a lot of time maintaining it, after all just like the Mac you can set up automated processes to maintain it for you.

Given a choice between the two I'd pick my Mac in a heartbeat but I don't hate my PC...you guys who do nothing but bash Windows and anything not Apple make me laugh...is Apple better yes, because of its simplicity and lack of spyware/viruses and the interface is much nicer but the fascination you have with bashing Windows is perplexing, yes the Mac is better, this is a Mac forum so you aren't going to find many (if any) to argue with you but there are 100's if not thousands of posts on this site that feel the need to bash Windows...why?

I think your first paragraph makes a good point. A machine is as healthy and usable as the owner makes it. To keep a PC working smoothly takes a decent investment of time and resources (brains and sometimes cash) .

The second paragraph,,, maybe this will help you understand why I crack on MS sometimes (everyone else can explain their own behavior!)... their OS seems to make it harder to keep a machine healthy.
I understand it also has to do with all the folks out there writing malware, and MS is a big target, but they need to rise to the challenge. And they won't unless users complain.
The bashing is also a vent (for me) for the frusteration experienced with MS products.:)

beige matchbox

Dec 28, 2005, 02:53 PM

Nout wrong with my PC, but it's only used for games :rolleyes: i think i've only loaded firefox 3 times since i built it a couple of months ago :D

Macs = Desktop stuff
PC = Uber games machine

I just don't feel the need to install open office on it just so i can word process on a 3800X2 and 2Gb of ram, that what the powerbook is for :eek:

Having said that, if i could buy a Mac as powerful as my PC for similar money, and get all the games i'd sell it right away :rolleyes:

adk

Dec 28, 2005, 03:23 PM

What's wrong with my PC?

First off, it looks like a giant toaster. (HP)

Secondly, certain family members click the download button anytime it is presented to them, resulting in copious amounts of malware

Lastly, the daily virus scan, the weekly defragmentation, and the bi-monthly reformat.

jhu

Dec 28, 2005, 05:06 PM

absolutely nothing is wrong with my pc. higher performance for a fraction of the cost of a new mac is great (new motherboard and cpu).

mjstew33

Dec 28, 2005, 05:23 PM

Slow. Viruses. Spyware. I spent like an hour+ every week cleaning up my system looking for new viruses and spyware. Got old and got a new Mac replacing my G3 333MHz.

LimeiBook86

Dec 28, 2005, 05:28 PM

Don't get me wrong I like my PC very much, I mostly play games on it but, I despise Windows. It hardly ever works they way it should and is always giving me memory errors when working in Macromedia Flash. As long as I have my Mac the PC will just be a gaming machine :D So basically the only problem with my PC is...it runs Windows!:p

NYmacAttack

Dec 28, 2005, 05:32 PM

EricNau

Dec 28, 2005, 05:35 PM

What's wrong with my PC? Nothing, except for the fact that I took a hammer to it and threw it in the trash. :D

Couldn't stand that thing! :mad:

It had so many problems; I couldn't even keep it plugged into the telephone line because I would hear a loud buzz when on the telephone. :eek:

After G

Dec 28, 2005, 05:53 PM

There's nothing wrong with my Personal Computer. I love my Macs.

jefhatfield

Dec 28, 2005, 06:01 PM

that pc lasted me nearly five years with only two major problems:

1) the easy access buttons on the laptop got disabled a lot so i stopped using them in the first week...not a problem, really

2) windows 98...need i say more...what a bad operating system ;)

right before the five year point the lcd ribbon cable got unplugged from the motherboard so the only way i could view the lcd, which is passive matrix and dull dull dull, would be to take it apart and reconnect the ribbon cable

so out of laziness, i plugged in a 15" inch crt to the laptop and the image was much sharper and brighter so i felt no need to reconnect that dull, eye straining passive matrix lcd :)

Nspace

Dec 28, 2005, 07:11 PM

mjstew33

Dec 28, 2005, 07:18 PM

solvs

Dec 28, 2005, 07:28 PM

I have given Apple a fair chance but unfortunately I think this powerbook will be my last apple product for a while.
You know Apple is moving to Intel right?

My homebuilt Win2000 PC is ok. I take pretty good care of it, but it has it's issues that pop up and it pisses me off that I have to work so hard just to maintain it. FireFox helps. What really pisses me off though is when my parents call me about some lame Windows problem. I keep telling them to get a Mac, and they wouldn't have most of the problems they do, but they always have some excuse. I should stop helping them, but they're my parents, so, you know...

Now my laptop... that thing sucks. It's a Dell with XP Pro SP2. Got it for work (which I've since quit). I need a new laptop. Preferably one where the taskbar and icons don't disappear and all the other stupid stuff that happens with XP.

Nspace

Dec 28, 2005, 07:29 PM

I still own a Powerbook; I was on here attempting to figure out why my airport on it works so poorly and how I might fix it :)

I find I have very little maintanence to do on my pc, every since I stopped using IE and moved to Firefox there have really been no issues for me. And as a graphic designer, with so many typefaces being released in cross platform formats such as OpenType, I really don't have any problems running my operation on my PC and having to work with other mac users. I go back and forth between my pc, to my powerbook to the g5's at school without any issues, its just that I find I work much more efficiently on a PC and find it to be more responsive. The only leg up that using a mac has for me is Linotype Font Explorer X, which is a great font management app, but fortunately a pc version is in the works.

Yes I am aware that apple is moving to Intel, but I don't overly like using the OS that much. I mean I don't hate macs, but as I said, I work more efficiently on a pc, like I notice a big difference in speed, and it is not really an adjustment issue really since I use most of the exact same applications on both platforms. In terms of PC's though I would never buy a prebuilt desktop, only build my own, and if I had to buy another laptop I'd definitely check out the Thinkpads first.

kingcrowing

Dec 28, 2005, 07:45 PM

connecting to wireless networks.
my apples can to it, my PCs cant.
seriously, my iBook connects within 2-3 seconds after sleeping, sometimes my PC wont when I have the wireless card LITTERALLY touching the antenna on my router, and somnetimes it wont even find the router when its in the same room, thats unexcusable for thew most widley used piece fo software in thew world...

jefhatfield

Dec 28, 2005, 07:46 PM

Yes I am aware that apple is moving to Intel, but I don't overly like using the OS that much. I mean I don't hate macs, but as I said, I work more efficiently on a pc, like I notice a big difference in speed, and it is not really an adjustment issue really since I use most of the exact same applications on both platforms. In terms of PC's though I would never buy a prebuilt desktop, only build my own, and if I had to buy another laptop I'd definitely check out the Thinkpads first.

when i first saw pc desktops running windows 3.1, i thought they were hideous and the windows 95 machines were not much better...but since windows 98, pre built pc desktops have been ok, and some of them have been fantastic

i like build to order via dell or sony and unless you have some really unusual needs, i think a top fo the line configured major brand pc can get most, if not all things done...at least internally

the really cool aftermarket parts, glass sides, neon lights and such are much cheaper to build yourself than getting a major brand pc with them like alien or a 3000 dollar dell custom...and building something unique is the whole fun of it...even if your best hand picked processor is available in bto and your best video card is also a major brand upgrade

if you want to build something crazy like a computer built into a desk designed around an f-16 cockpit in 1:1 scale and a grand worth of bose surround sound, i am sure some pc gamer has done that, and more

in japan, one techie/engineer built a pc with a built in, vibrating, silicon based...well, you know, to aid the "experience" of browsing the internet and so far, i don't think dell offers this option ;) either i saw the thing in wired magazine or it was something our sleuthing igav produced here...or should have discovered for our viewing enjoyment

reberto

Dec 28, 2005, 08:47 PM

the ONLY thing wrong with my PC that makes me love my iMac is that the PC is LOUD as hell. I can barely hear my TV when the PC is on.

ug.mac

Dec 28, 2005, 10:52 PM

My feeling about PC is contradictories. I was playing games, watching TV on internet with a Windows-ONLY app, running P2P clients etc, they just working as perfect as I want to. But on another side, I need to protecting it from virus, getting BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) sometimes, working with very un-user-friendly windows explorer. I could live with those problems if they have became a problem, but I can NEVER EVER accepted that I have to reinstall the whole system with no-one-knows-why system failure every few month, WTF....:mad:

sean.ferguson

Dec 29, 2005, 09:26 AM

Nothing is wrong with my Windows based desktop at all - It runs somewhat nicer than my mac too, I just like variety.

hob

Dec 29, 2005, 09:39 AM

The last PC I built was about 4 or 5 years ago. There's nothing actually wrong with it, except I started cannibalising bits for my brothers PC...

But I don't use any Windows system anymore if I can get away with it. Not that I like Linux, so what am I left with? Oh yeah, Mac OS X. Why use anything else? I must say, I'm tempted to get the old PC out and download a copy of HL2... But then I would have NO time on my hands...

The other month I decided to reflash my phone, but the motorola phone tools are windows only. So I dragged out my brothers PC (which is now collecting dust as he has an iBook) and plugged it into my desktop system - my 20" Cinema Display with the apple keyboard, mighty mouse etc. and it all worked! I felt so.... dirty.... running windows on such a beautiful display...

Windows isn't that bad, but something clicked in my head about 3 years ago and I just decided I'd had enough - I could see the virus situation was going to get worse, and I was right. The only Windows machine in my life is the one I use at university to edit in Avid... which invariably crashes out and loses half my work... (it's happened twice in two weeks...)

That is what is wrong with Windows!

revenuee

Dec 29, 2005, 09:51 AM

there won't be anything wrong with my HP box as soon as i dump windows off of it and throw on Linux

it's an old machine ... Pentium 2 400 --- my parents were using it until a few months ago when they got an iBook ... my dad swore he was going to use it for himself so that my mom would have the ibook

he loves that iBook though ... After i set up two separate accounts and turned on fast user switching for them ... my mom can check her emails and keep her Word and Excel files open and my dad can work on his iLife projects <-- i love that i converting them

liquidh2o

Dec 29, 2005, 12:12 PM

since I've been home my wife's PC has been a PITA.

Wireless signal for hers was too low to access the internet, even though it's closer to the wifi router than my powermac. So I had to figure out a way to move the router closer and to not make it an eyesore that would get the wife's disapproval.

Second, the Power supply went tits up. Swapped it out.

Then the wife says MS word doesn't work anymore. For some reason it deactivated itself. No problem, went through the online activation, SORRY, you've reached your limit of activations ( a whopping one in my case).

Click on the "activate by phone" option, nothing happens, Brilliant!

Call the generic 1-800-microsoft #. Hold for 10 minutes, customer support, explain situation.... hold 10 minutes.... let me transfer you.... 10 minutes... tech support guy "rename this file".... ok.... "now let me transfer you to the activation center... hold 10 minutes.... long fricking ID code follows, followed by a just as long activation code.

about an hour later I'm done with that, wife is happy, I slink back into my chair and whisper sweet nothings to my powermac for being so good to me. :)

tutenstein

Dec 29, 2005, 05:57 PM

I had a Gateway Desktop with Windows XP. The hard drive crashed in less than two years. I maintained it very well. Trend Micro Internet Security, Anti-spyware, Defrag, Disk Cleanup, etc. Still crashed. I stupidly did not have an extended warranty.

For some reason I bought another Gateway. A windows media center edition.

Within a year, it started to shut down unexpectedly. I sent it in for repair. It had a power source problem.

Then in the last two months, it again would just crash, then restart as if nothing happened.

Then this past December 11th, it crashed, then would start-up, but it was a constant loop.

On December 12 I bought an imac isight 17" G5.

I just couldn't take it anymore.

I could see if I just blindly used a PC and didn't take care of it, but I did.

Now I have no worries.

biohazard6969

Dec 29, 2005, 06:43 PM

Laser47

Dec 29, 2005, 07:33 PM

Nothings wrong with my pc, I just like using my mac better.

jaduffy108

Dec 29, 2005, 08:31 PM

My pc works great and so did my last one. Used it for about 4.5 years without any stability issues and found it much faster than my Powerbook. Now running an AMD x2 dual core with a gig of ram and find it much nicer to use than any of the dual g5 systems I use at school. I have given Apple a fair chance but unfortunately I think this powerbook will be my last apple product for a while.

>>same here. I love my pc (AMD X2 4800) with a NVIDIA FX3450. It has been rock solid...and i'm throwing HUGE files at it. For Pro graphics work..especially 3d...PC is the way to go...period. 3dsMax isn't even offered on the Mac platform! A friend of mine recently bought the Quad Mac with the FX4500...he is terribly disappointed. The graphics performance is a joke...a very BAD joke. He feels ripped off actually and it's doubtful he will EVER buy another Apple computer. For me, I prefer Apple for general computer tasks, email, etc. "Digital lifestyle" stuff...Apple works VERY well. I will probably replace my Powerbook with a merom based Powerbook in Jan 07, but..... after two decades of supporting Apple exclusively, I think i'm through buying Apple's "pro" gear. The apps, drivers(!!!), etc *I* need just aren't optimized for the platform. Maybe that will change...and i hope it does...cuz believe me, i would love a true high performance dcc machine running on OS X. That has yet to materialize. I was an Apple apologist..big time. Not any more. My PC experience has been an eye opener...a very pleasing experience. If i wanted a OS X look and feel...it is easy to make XP look almost identical to OS X...but personally, i don't care.

Also, I'm r-e-a-l-l-y sick of the Apple Cult mentality...such as this thread as well as most on this site represents. I like the PC world's lack of religious..blind faith. Refreshing.

peace

p0intblank

Dec 29, 2005, 08:34 PM

My Windows machine is actually in very good working condition, but that's because it is custom built. ;) I do have some issues with Explorer, though. It sometimes lags when copy/pasting a file or opening a folder.

macEfan

Dec 29, 2005, 08:42 PM

-my Windowz PC has bad frount USB ports
-It runs very hot
-It takes 2x longer to load the OS

maya

Dec 29, 2005, 08:44 PM

It has Windows XP installed on it. :o ;)

:p :D I do not own any PC other than a Macintosh.

EricNau

Dec 29, 2005, 08:57 PM

i don't have a PC but i want one, like a previous post said, a PC is fine if you don't abuse it, you have spyware and viruses because of something you did, my brother has a Vaio desktop that is pretty ugly but it WORKS. if i didn't own a mac i would definitely have a sony. but i digress, the point is that i don't personally own a PC but i would like to, mainly for playing games, that is definitely one thing that is lacking on macs. sure there are games out there for them, but to play them at their best, you need at least a powermac, or the 20" imac to run doom 3 at the highest settings
You seem very confused. You can get viruses without doing anything wrong. The average Windows computer lasts only about 18 minutes from the point of first connecting to the internet, to the point of infection.
I didn't do anything wrong to my PC, yet it froze all the time, I got the Blue Screen of Death on a normal basis, and I had McAfee the whole time.

ryannel2003

Dec 29, 2005, 09:25 PM

As of right now my Dell is slow as hell becuase it has Net Nanny installed b/c my brother's are a little... something! :eek: :D Right now my HP is fine becuase I reformatted a couple of weeks ago! I also installed SP2 and it's been fine. I don't expect it to stay that way! :mad:

alexstein

Dec 29, 2005, 09:31 PM

Physically speaking there is nothing wrong with my Windows boxes (Sony VAIO P4 2.2GHZ, IBM Thinkpad P2 266MHZ). No broken hardware but both machines had a HD failure in the past year. Both HD were replaced with bigger and ones.

Aesthetically the VAIO is one ugly blueish grayish box an eyesore if you like. The IBM Thinkpad is an incredibly well build machine it's almost 8 years old and I still use it every so often to fix/scan error codes of my car using the VAG-COM software.

Usability of both machines is fairly good since I take good care of them no viruses or spyware whatsoever on either one. However there is the fact that both systems run Windows XP and I really don't like to use it anymore that much. It feels clunky and bloated and foremost I love computing they mac way now days.

Mikael

Dec 30, 2005, 02:34 AM

Nothing wrong with the five WindowsXP mahines I use more or less daily. They're quite reliable, actually.

connecting to wireless networks.
my apples can to it, my PCs cant.
seriously, my iBook connects within 2-3 seconds after sleeping, sometimes my PC wont when I have the wireless card LITTERALLY touching the antenna on my router, and somnetimes it wont even find the router when its in the same room, thats unexcusable for thew most widley used piece fo software in thew world...
What you're describing isn't Windows' fault. It's the fault of badly designed or faulty equipment.

As with most PC problems, what you're describing is likely related to the fact that the one building the computer choose to use cheap parts. A PC can be really cheap to build, but it's not very smart to buy these cheap parts and expect to get a very solid machine. I always buy quality parts and that's probably the reason why my PCs have always worked more or less flawlessly.

You seem very confused. You can get viruses without doing anything wrong. The average Windows computer lasts only about 18 minutes from the point of first connecting to the internet, to the point of infection.
That's strange... I've been running the three XP machines at work connected to the internet for about 6000 hours without any infections. That is without any anti virus/spyware software installed. The two XP machines at home have been running for approximately 3500 hours without getting viruses. Neither of these have any anti virus or anti spyware software installed either. Windows is being kept up to date, though. That's pretty important.

EricNau

Dec 30, 2005, 03:02 AM

That's strange... I've been running the three XP machines at work connected to the internet for about 6000 hours without any infections. That is without any anti virus/spyware software installed. The two XP machines at home have been running for approximately 3500 hours without getting viruses. Neither of these have any anti virus or anti spyware software installed either. Windows is being kept up to date, though. That's pretty important.
How do you know if you have any viruses if you don't have Antivirus software to check for them?
And just because a virus isn't known yet, doesn't mean you don't have one.

TechZone

Dec 30, 2005, 04:01 AM

Here is my PC #

P4 3.4ghz OC to 3.7ghz
1gb Ram
160gb Harddrive
Ati radeon 9800 Pro ( This is the Prob) Need a new video card.

liquidh2o

Dec 30, 2005, 07:35 AM

Nothing wrong with the five WindowsXP mahines I use more or less daily. They're quite reliable, actually.

What you're describing isn't Windows' fault. It's the fault of badly designed or faulty equipment.

As with most PC problems, what you're describing is likely related to the fact that the one building the computer choose to use cheap parts. A PC can be really cheap to build, but it's not very smart to buy these cheap parts and expect to get a very solid machine. I always buy quality parts and that's probably the reason why my PCs have always worked more or less flawlessly.

That's strange... I've been running the three XP machines at work connected to the internet for about 6000 hours without any infections. That is without any anti virus/spyware software installed. The two XP machines at home have been running for approximately 3500 hours without getting viruses. Neither of these have any anti virus or anti spyware software installed either. Windows is being kept up to date, though. That's pretty important.

I'd imagine your work has either a physical firewall installed, or is using windows built-in firewall. If not, going 6000 hours on an unprotected XP box without any "infections" is quite a feat.

Just for grins, you should try running spybot.

Mikael

Dec 30, 2005, 07:39 AM

How do you know if you have any viruses if you don't have Antivirus software to check for them?
And just because a virus isn't known yet, doesn't mean you don't have one.
Well, I use online scanners occasionally (like every 6 months, maybe longer between runs). I just ran Panda on the computers at work and we haven't gotten any viruses in the last year. I realise that this may be hard to understand for most people on this board, though. Guess you'll have to take my word for it.

I'd probably join in on the Windows bashing if I had encountered the problems you guys have. Thing is that I haven't and my Windows machines don't crash, nor get viruses and spyware. Then again, I don't surf shady porn sites or download software via peer2peer or what not. I have used my Windows machines without anti virus programs for close to ten years now and haven't been bothered by viruses so far, so it's working for me.

The thing to realise is that the absolute majority of malicious code is avoided by staying away from crap you shouldn't be dealing with in the first place. Do you really need to surf strange porn sites? Download gig after gig of data from strangers? Open unidentified mail attachments? These are the "rules" (or whatever you want to call them) that I follow and it works! See, it doesn't even involve magic! :eek:

But, now, let's get back to the passionate bashing of good 'ol Windows. :D

I'd imagine your work has either a physical firewall installed, or is using windows built-in firewall. If not, going 6000 hours on an unprotected XP box without any "infections" is quite a feat.

Just for grins, you should try running spybot.
Yeah, it probably has now, using a Netgear router. It was unprotected before though. The same goes for my computers at home (no firewall until fairly recently). Windows' built in firewall is of course enabled, but I have no idea how well it works in practice...

By the way, Panda antivirus is quite capable at detecting spyware and it found none on my last run. :)

EDIT: And just so that I'm not misunderstood: I'm not saying that Windows is secure. It certainly isn't. I just find it fairly easy to avoid all the trouble. I'll admit that I'm going to be an easier target for some worms and stuff, but I'm not really losing any sleep over it.

jhu

Dec 30, 2005, 08:11 AM

You seem very confused. You can get viruses without doing anything wrong. The average Windows computer lasts only about 18 minutes from the point of first connecting to the internet, to the point of infection.
I didn't do anything wrong to my PC, yet it froze all the time, I got the Blue Screen of Death on a normal basis, and I had McAfee the whole time.

that could happen on a computer with a fresh install of a new windows xp (i recall if this applies to sp2) connected directly to the internet. that's what happens when there are open ports by default. but you could probably do the same thing by installing mac os with open ports too.

Mikael

Dec 30, 2005, 08:27 AM

that could happen on a computer with a fresh install of a new windows xp (i recall if this applies to sp2) connected directly to the internet. that's what happens when there are open ports by default. but you could probably do the same thing by installing mac os with open ports too.
Yep, un unpatched version of XP will get a worm or two in an instant. This doesn't happen with SP2.

sean.ferguson

Dec 30, 2005, 10:40 AM

-my Windowz PC has bad frount USB ports
-It runs very hot
-It takes 2x longer to load the OS

These are easily fixxed at the users end though:

New PCI USB Card, either that just rewire in some USB ports if your adventurous.
Bigger, Better Fan
Feed it RAM

Running hot is a problem with all current Macs aswell, moreso the portables. The G-Processor really has a much bigger problem with heat than even the old AMD Durons. :p

Yep, un unpatched version of XP will get a worm or two in an instant. This doesn't happen with SP2.

This is where Macs come out on top, but virii can still be a problem on Macintosh if people do not understand the sudo concept very well. Malware and Worms can infect a Mac if the user types in their admin password when prompted. If someone is very un-educated they may just think the system is needing something and type in their password without checking the source.

The current issue that virus writers have right now with the Mac platform, is there is no delivery capsule. There is the malicious code, but no way to automatically insert and run it.

jhu

Dec 30, 2005, 12:30 PM

This is where Macs come out on top, but virii can still be a problem on Macintosh if people do not understand the sudo concept very well. Malware and Worms can infect a Mac if the user types in their admin password when prompted. If someone is very un-educated they may just think the system is needing something and type in their password without checking the source.

The current issue that virus writers have right now with the Mac platform, is there is no delivery capsule. There is the malicious code, but no way to automatically insert and run it.

i disagree. take a look at the unpatched itunes (http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2126520/itunes-exploit-code-hits-web). if you don't patch known exploits, there is a distinct possibility of getting 0wned.

macg4

Dec 30, 2005, 12:50 PM

well before i sold my g5. let me see, the 5 month old western digitail hd died, windows xp kept crashing/freezing. and other fun various issue, these and many more made me switch to mac for good!

biohazard6969

Dec 30, 2005, 01:02 PM

You seem very confused. You can get viruses without doing anything wrong. The average Windows computer lasts only about 18 minutes from the point of first connecting to the internet, to the point of infection.
I didn't do anything wrong to my PC, yet it froze all the time, I got the Blue Screen of Death on a normal basis, and I had McAfee the whole time.

oh i know that, but that statistic is for a PC without antivirus, also, what i'm meaning here is that USUALLY if you treat it right then many people won't see these problems, other times its bad luck

Seasought

Dec 30, 2005, 01:05 PM

What's wrong with your PC?

The cheap plastic case creaks and moans when picking it up and moving it / cleaning it.

The operating system is Windows XP Professional.

I'm pretty paranoid about keeping it clean and running well however so I don't have any other issues with performance.

hob

Dec 30, 2005, 01:21 PM

All I know is:

Last night I reinstalled OS X on my PowerBook. It took an hour and just worked.

Today I formatted and re-installed my brothers PC. It's now running Windows 2000 which I find slightly more stable than XP, but it took over an hour to install the OS, then another hour to get drivers etc.

Apple seems to have become the ultimate in proprietaryness - almost certainly unwittingly. If I want to edit video, the best program to use on my mac is Final Cut - made by Apple. This isn't just because the interface is better than Avid, but because it runs better than any non-apple software.

Of course, I can still export from all the Pro apps in any number of formats, which is nice - but when you have a mac, you have to accept that you're going to be using mainly apple-built software, along with apple-built hardware. This can be infuriating to some, but to me it just makes my life easier.

pknz

Dec 30, 2005, 01:23 PM

The case of my HP laptop is ugly.
Windows - runs like a door frozen in a massive iceberg superglued to a wall.
Spyware, pop ups and other annoyances.
Keyboard scratches screen.
Screen locking (lid closed lock) scratches paint off itself.
Power adapter has now been replaced twice as the wire bends and then breaks every 12 months.
Needs to be reformatted.

macg4

Dec 30, 2005, 02:13 PM

oh i know that, but that statistic is for a PC without antivirus, also, what i'm meaning here is that USUALLY if you treat it right then many people won't see these problems, other times its bad luck
true, but i myself always had norton or some other kind of antivirus/firewall, plus i was behind a router as well. i do internet tech support for the local cable company and i see issues with pcs all the time

jaduffy108

Dec 30, 2005, 02:33 PM

Apple seems to have become the ultimate in proprietaryness - almost certainly unwittingly. If I want to edit video, the best program to use on my mac is Final Cut - made by Apple. This isn't just because the interface is better than Avid, but because it runs better than any non-apple software.

>>Don't get me wrong, you're entitled to your opinion, but you *are* in a tiny minority amongst pro editors that think FCP has a better interface than Avid. I love FCP, but I still think Avid is better on several fronts in addition to their interface as well. Especially media management, Avid is vastly better. Though FCP supports multicam now, *I* wouldn't want to use it to cut a reality show...and I don't know of any that are using FCP either. FCP is still predominantly a cable networks option ala Discovery Channel, etc.

peace

jiggie2g

Dec 30, 2005, 02:46 PM

Nothing is wrong with my PC, I use to come here alot but I now find myself more and more at AnandTech forums. Many people here are just a bunch of bilnd windows bashers or mac zealots who will believe anything Jobs tells them.

now to the original topic , what wrong with my PC.

Nothing , Other then the ocassional spyware sweep. It works just as good as my iMac G4.

Fact is my PC will destroy every Mac here save for a Quad and that is maybe 20-25% boost for 300-400% the price in similar config, the dual 2.7ghz and My Rig should be in about +-5% of one another, but I am running better ram.
I still get to keep my 2 PCI slots to Go along with my 1x , 4x , and dual 16x PCI-e slots. I Get to keep my SoundBlaster Audigy 2. I didn't get raped by Apple for my 7800GT(newegg baby). Best of all I get to keep my Athlon X2 Logo Sticker on my Tower Door.:D

So whats wrong with my PC? The Real Question is whats wrong with Your MAc?

EricNau

Dec 30, 2005, 02:57 PM

So whats wrong with my PC? The Real Question is whats wrong with Your MAc?
Nothing.

ortuno2k

Dec 30, 2005, 03:28 PM

Windows XP sucks.

deadlygopher

Dec 30, 2005, 03:46 PM

the only thing that is wrong with my pc is that it is in 2 boxes in UPS trucks right now being shipped to my house

macg4

Dec 30, 2005, 04:35 PM

nothings wrong with my g5 tower...

Nspace

Dec 30, 2005, 06:00 PM

Also, I'm r-e-a-l-l-y sick of the Apple Cult mentality...such as this thread as well as most on this site represents. I like the PC world's lack of religious..blind faith. Refreshing.

peace

I agree. A ton of the threads here that get a large response are many of the ones that have to do with PC's or Windows. It seems to be a hobby for many mac enthusiasts to have such great pride in making so many negative claims about windows etc., and from reading many of the posts its quite obvious that some people are very uninformed if you ask me. Claims like "I have never seen an XP machine with uptime more than a day". Thats most likely not windows; its probably a really shi**y computer to begin with. I have had uptime for weeks and week and its only been interupted by my own need to manually restart or shut down. I will also add I don't use anti virus software, or any special software to combat spyware etc, and after doing an online scan at Housecall to prove a point I can happily report I am not affected by any sort of virus.

On the other hand I could make a relatively large list of issues I have had with my powerbook in the short span of only a year and a half.

jaduffy108

Dec 30, 2005, 06:40 PM

I agree. A ton of the threads here that get a large response are many of the ones that have to do with PC's or Windows. It seems to be a hobby for many mac enthusiasts to have such great pride in making so many negative claims about windows etc., and from reading many of the posts its quite obvious that some people are very uninformed if you ask me.

>>>Yep. Very uninformed..thus my "cult mentality" remark. The vibe reminds me of high school in terms of maturity, etc. Well...ok...junior high.

Claims like "I have never seen an XP machine with uptime more than a day". Thats most likely not windows; its probably a really shi**y computer to begin with. I have had uptime for weeks and week and its only been interupted by my own need to manually restart or shut down. I will also add I don't use anti virus software, or any special software to combat spyware etc, and after doing an online scan at Housecall to prove a point I can happily report I am not affected by any sort of virus.

>>>Exactly. These Mac Supremacy folks seem oblivous to the FACT that some of the most demanding computer environments on the planet are PC based...and for damn good reasons. The tech people who chose PC over Apple for those networks, etc are NOT stupid. The FACT is even Apple's beloved stepchild, Pixar, was PC based for a L_O_N_G time...and I believe still uses PCs in their renderfarms. WHY? Did WETA use G5's for King Kong? Nope. Did Digital Domain use Macs for Titanic? Nope....and i can go on and on. These environments where down time due to crashes, etc can cost a small fortune(!)....why would these VERY demanding, cost-no-object environments choose PC over Apple if Apple is superior?.... They didn't..cuz it ain't. As i've said before, I do prefer Apple (OSX) for certain tasks, etc. So what?

On the other hand I could make a relatively large list of issues I have had with my powerbook in the short span of only a year and a half.

>>Unfortunately, me too. Now... I try to use Apple for its strengths....and pcs for "heavy lifting". When Apple starts using Intel's conroe/merom......maybe...MAYBE... we can have the best of both worlds....we shall see.

peace

Xephian

Dec 30, 2005, 07:53 PM

I like my PC but I love my Mac even more.

Unfortunately, It seems I only use my PC for gaming.

dubbz

Dec 30, 2005, 08:20 PM

Nothing wrong with my PC. Works just great. Fast, no viruses or spyware. No stability issues.

I have and use a Mac, because I like testing out different OS. OS X is a great OS and the Powerbook is a great laptop when it works...

muffinman

Dec 30, 2005, 08:33 PM

why do people keep in bi***ing about how bad PCs are? Seriously, PCs are not that bad. Mac surpasses them in many areas, but there are areas in which PCs shine. I do not think there should be "hatred" or "extreme discomfort" towards PCs. Sure, PCs can get spyware, and sure PCs freeze alot, and sure, the PC's interface is not as great as Apple's but there is no reason to bi*** about it in the way some people do. I'm not pointing fingers, but I think this hatred/negative outlook should stop.

They're only (dare I say it?) computers.

Edit: oops, i looked above me, and see that other people are saying the same thing. forgot to read:o . But my statement still holds.

hob

Jan 1, 2006, 04:46 PM

>>Don't get me wrong, you're entitled to your opinion, but you *are* in a tiny minority amongst pro editors that think FCP has a better interface than Avid. I love FCP, but I still think Avid is better on several fronts in addition to their interface as well. Especially media management, Avid is vastly better. Though FCP supports multicam now, *I* wouldn't want to use it to cut a reality show...and I don't know of any that are using FCP either. FCP is still predominantly a cable networks option ala Discovery Channel, etc.

peace

I don't understand this - I get it a lot, everyone uses Avid, so of course we should all use Avid... I don't understand the attraction! I had to use it for an editing project, I found it more frustrating that iMovie and it crashed twice! What exactly is so good about avid in your opinion?

Sorry to go off topic, I'm just curious!

MacRumorUser

Jan 1, 2006, 06:37 PM

I don't understand this - I get it a lot, everyone uses Avid, so of course we should all use Avid... I don't understand the attraction! I had to use it for an editing project, I found it more frustrating that iMovie and it crashed twice! What exactly is so good about avid in your opinion?

Sorry to go off topic, I'm just curious!

I'm pretty dept on Avid having specialised in it for my B.A hons course, but the first time I used FCP (version 2) I fell in love.

Avid is heavily structured, you have to make sure all your files are in its supported formats and for most editing it is good, but FCP in all its incarnations i've used 2,3,4,4.5 HD,5 has always alowed more creative flexibility and expression. I find its a tool that works with you, rather than just a tool that you work....

(Previous poster 'HOB' you can't compare Avid to iMovie...)

And as for the main topic 'what's wrong with your pc?'... Well nothing as a mac is a Personal Computer...

hob

Jan 1, 2006, 09:52 PM

I'm pretty dept on Avid having specialised in it for my B.A hons course, but the first time I used FCP (version 2) I fell in love.

Avid is heavily structured, you have to make sure all your files are in its supported formats and for most editing it is good, but FCP in all its incarnations i've used 2,3,4,4.5 HD,5 has always alowed more creative flexibility and expression. I find its a tool that works with you, rather than just a tool that you work....

(Previous poster 'HOB' you can't compare Avid to iMovie...)

And as for the main topic 'what's wrong with your pc?'... Well nothing as a mac is a Personal Computer...

Cool, where did you do your BA Hons? I'm doing mine at Staffordshire... Not the most prestigious of establishments!!

I'll tell you how avid is like iMovie - well, I used to get frustrated with the previous version of iMovie - was that 3? 4? I foget which we're up to now, I don't use it anymore - but when you used to drag a clip in, sometimes the audio would go out of sync etc. etc.

My experience with avid was that not only could I not drag a clip in, (I had to use keyboard shortcuts I = in point O = out point X = extract) but when I got my new clip in it would invariably throw all of my audio and video out of sync.

I just like the way FCP has a nice front-end, it does what you expect it to do when you drag something somewhere, as opposed to you having to learn what to expect the program to do when you do something!

Hob